Islay Whisky

Islay (pronounced ‘eye-luh’) whiskies are among Scotland’s most powerful, thunderous drams. Often with plenty of peat and smoke, brine and medicinal flavours, of all the whisky regions of Scotland Islay has attained a truly iconic status. When compared to the various drink producing regions of the world, be it the Grande Champagne designation of Cognac or the first growths of Bordeaux, or that distant island, Madeira, there is something magical about the illustrious Scottish Isle, some 35 miles from the coast of Northern Island.

There are some nine distilleries on the Isle. To the North there lies Bunnahabhain and Caol Ila, to the west of Loch Indaal sits Bruichladdich and further west, the newly founded Kilchoman - Scotland’s most westerly distillery. To the centre of the isle sits the mighty Bowmore, but it is from the southern coast, not far from Port Ellen and the closed distillery of the same name, that the most pungent whisky emanates, produced by the trio of leviathan Ileach distilleries; Ardbeg, Lagavulin and of course Laphroaig. There is a defined power to the whisky, peat being the obvious attribute, certainly the best associated. Smoke is both a flavour of its own, but is intrinsically linked with peat. The peat flavour is imparted during the barley malted process, the smoke used to dry out the barley is produced by burning peat.

There is a marked reduction in peaty power to the far north; the malts of Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain are comparatively soft. In Bruichladdich’s case it is due to the relative shelter from the elements that the Rhinns proffers. For Bunnahabhain it is the unpeated malt and the water source, the Margadale springs, cutting their course in stoic avoidance of the peat beds of Islay. Islay single malts also have a refined salinity; there is a profusion of seaweedy, kelp-rich whiskies.

This is often attributed to the terroir. The Islay distilleries possess a relative close proximity with the sea, all of which save for Kilchoman, the only inlander. The sea spray is said to whip across the warehouses, the salty air penetrates the barrels and flavours the maturing whisky. Of late, whiskies from Islay have become increasingly sought after.

An independently bottled, heavily peated Bunnahabhain! This 7 year old single malt from the Bunnahabhain distillery on Islay was distilled in 2006 and matured in a single cask until 2014, when it was... More info

This is a delicious 1996 vintage from the Lagavulin distillery, this was given a finish in top-quality Pedro Ximénez dessert sherry casks. The result is a mix of Lagavulin's signature smoky flavour... More info

A great Islay single malt from an unnamed distillery. The Ileach always scores well with the critics, this cask strength edition was awarded a mindblowingly high 97 points by Jim Murray in his Whisky... More info

The heart of the Bowmore range, the 12 year old exhibits some beautiful coastal notes with a gentle peat, it is the balance that the floral element presents that makes this a great entry bottling for... More info

An exciting single cask release of Islay Scotch whisky from Anthony Wills' farm distillery, Kilchoman. They grow a portion of the barley used in their whiskies themselves and are one of the small... More info

This gorgeous Ardbeg may not have taken on quite the same hue as some of its Darkness! siblings, but it has still spent 3 months in a tiny, specially rebuilt 50 litre first-fill Sherry cask (a fresh... More info

This is the eagerly anticipated That Boutique-y Whisky Company bottling of single malt Scotch whisky from the Bruichladdich distillery on Islay. On the graphic-novel-style label, we see a Laddie who’s... More info

Batch 1 of That Boutique-y Whisky Company's Caol Ila Single Malt Scotch Whisky has been launched to mark the team's trip to Fèis Ìle 2013! If you catch them while they're out there, they may even... More info

It's here. Phone people. Write letters. Open up windows and shout at things. Let the things know that it's here. But what is it? Batch 5 of Port Ellen single malt Scotch whisky, bottled by That... More info

Batch 2 of That Boutique-y Whisky Company's Bunnahabhain has landed, complete once again with a label that depicts various goings on at the distillery such as caber tossing and a rally car navigating... More info

The fourth release of Kilchoman's excellent, lightly-peated release, 100% Islay. They used barley grown on the island and completed every step of production at the distillery - a big undertaking, but... More info

A Directors' Cut bottling from Douglas Laing of Port Ellen single malt. Yes, that Port Ellen, the one on Islay that was closed in the '80s and has remained closed ever since. Their stocks of superbly... More info

24 year old single malt from Islay's Bunnahabhain distillery, bottled by A. D. Rattray in Kirkoswald. This delicious dram was distilled in October 1989, matured in a bourbon hogshead and bottled in... More info

An awesome gift box from Ardbeg, featuring a 70cl bottle of their classic 10 year old expression, along with two "shortie" tasting glasses. No, they don't have a picture of Ardbeg's cheerful dog... More info

314 bottles were produced from the single refill hogshead cask that this Laphroaig whisky happily matured inside for 15 years. Part of Douglas Laing's Directors' Cut range, this wonderful Islay whisky... More info

A fantastic gift set from the Islay distillery, Bowmore. It includes a 70cl bottle of Bowmore 15 Year Old Darkest single malt Scotch whisky, which has been matured in American bourbon barrels and... More info

You know that a distillery is getting popular when they release a gift pack, and we're happy beyond belief that Kilchoman have got to that point so quickly. This set comes with a bottle of their... More info

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